"THANK you, and please send our love to the kind people of Ellesmere Port." That is the heart-warming New Year message from a group of Romanian orphans to people from this area who have been helping them for more than a decade.

Rita Aherne, press officer for the Ellesmere Port Romanian Appeal, spoke to a group of youngsters in the eastern European country just after midnight on New Year's Day.

And that's when they passed on their greetings to their supporters a continent away.

Rita said: "I was over there a month or so ago to buy food which will hopefully last them through the winter. I rang up at New Year to see how they were. They said they were doing fine and to pass on their greetings to the people of Ellesmere Port who have done so much for them over the years.

"On behalf of the team, I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us over the past year - without them none of what we do for the orphans would be possible."

Rita said the appeal was now looking for fresh volunteers - as many as possible - to help with its work.

"We need people to work behind the counter in our charity shop in the town centre and also at our warehouse helping to pack goods ready to be taken out to Romania.

"Apart from people we also need supplies for the orphans, such as clothing, shoes, blankets and dried food like pasta and rice."

She said: "If anybody has any bric-a-brac we could sell in the charity shop on Whitby Road, we'd be grateful for that, too. We're also looking for ways of fundraising, so if anybody has any ideas weÕd like to hear from them."

To contact the appeal team, ring its hotline number on (0151) 356 3247.